Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-12-10
THE MORPHINE HABIT.
Uoyv.It Affects tsDifferent Characters
Its Varying symptoms.

HOW'LL \ AnectS-DluerenL CnaTdCteFS
Its Varying symptoms.
Persons who have become morphine
habitues remain free from trouble for
variable perSds.of time. Some begin
to suffer seriously in a few months,
others only after years. This differ
ence depends rather upon individual
peculiarties than upon the quantity of
the drug which is taken. But sooner
or later al degenerate, both bodily and
mentally. Tney become pale, sallow
and emaciated; their appetite is greatly
diminished, and the digestive processes
are disordered; sleeplessness sets In in
spite of their morphia and what rest
they do get is disturbed BY horrible
dreams. They pecome sterile and lose
their energy and interest in life, VIII le
all their thoughts are concentrated on
their morphia.
If they have been accustomed to in
iect the drug simultaneously, those
parts of the body which are within
reach Of the syringe are one mass of
sores, so that they are sometimes at Il
loss to ind a sound spot where they
can tolerate an injection. These phy-
steal troubles are bad enough, but the
moral change eclipses them. No
one mas had experience Of these mel
ancholy cases can form an idea of tbs
moral. perversiOn which the habit pro-
duces. ssE .
The constant and increasing use OF
the drug-fOr tIis'is the rule-at leugJ-
enfeebles the will and makes the man 4
moral paralytic, of all spectacies the
most pitiable this side of the grave.
("Opium Smoking and Opium Eating" "
by George Shearer, VI. d.. 1881 I'm
truth .s second nature with them. ''As
a rule, no one tn nks of trusting to the
word of an opium smoker: his character
is wholly unreliable" George Shear
err The same NAV certainly he said
of the morphine habltue. Lsvinstein.
one of the greatest German authorizes
on he subject says:
"EdISaied. Intelligent men and wO-
men, otherwise deserving of respect.
descend to lying" Even De Quincy,
tisough he denies moral perys fsion. adj
mits that opium renders a man incapa-
be Of doing what he knows 20 be right.
'srhe opium eater loses none Of b ;
moral susceptibilities or aspirations; he
" shes and longs As earnestly aS ever
I 20 realize what he believes possible and
! feels 20 be exacted by duty, bat his in
te lectual apprehension of what is pOss-
/ ible infinitely Outruns his power. not of
/ execution only, but even OF power 10
| attempt. He lies under the weight Of
/ incubus and nightmare; he Us in ght
| of all that he would fain perform. just
as a man forcibiy confined % his bed
!. bv the mortal langtDr. Of a relaxing
! disease, who is compelled to witness ln-
/ iurv or outrage offered to some object
/ of his tenderest love; he curses the
fspells which chain him down from mo-
1 ion- no would lay down. hs'lite # he
ui3ht but get ND AMI wa.k. but be is
p9TerIess as an infant, and can not
even attempt 20 se."-('COnfessiOn Of
! an Ehglisn obfhm Eater.
Tl,e morphia 'hab.t may even trans
form the fenderest affection to hate. [
have known a happy home rendered
I almost uninhababitable and husband
| driven to despair the terrible change
produced in the character of his wife
by the influence of this habit. -Aias-
teezsA Csptury.